Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

Baby, take off your coat…real slow Baby, take off your shoes…here, I’ll take your shoes Baby, take off your dress Yes, yes, yes You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on You can leave your hat on

Fitzgerald’s work has been adapted into films many times. His short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was the basis for a 2008 film. Tender Is the Night was filmed in 1962, and made into a television miniseries in 1985. The Beautiful and Damned was filmed in 1922 and 2010. The Great Gatsby has been the basis for numerous films of the same name, spanning nearly 90 years: 1926, 1949, 1974, 2000, and 2013 adaptations. In addition, Fitzgerald’s own life from 1937 to 1940 was dramatized in 1958 in Beloved Infidel.

His next album, For Everyman (1973) – while considered of high quality – was less successful than his debut album, although it still sold a million copies. The upbeat "Take It Easy", cowritten with The Eagles’ Glenn Frey, had already been a major success for that group, while his own recording of "These Days" reflected a sound representing Browne’s angst.

Like this:

Outtake from an article by Stein Omland in IMAGE magazine published at
The English & American Studies at Oslo University

The sun was beating down, hard, to the sound of a very loud drum. Mid-whirl, Bob Walkenhorst gabbed a garden hose, and doused the mass of wildly rocking fans in front of the stage, offering them a few moments of relief from the blistering heat. Steam rose from the crowd as Walkenhorst sprayed himself before launching into the ﬁnal verse of “Big Fat Blonde”.

It was the Kalvøya (Calf Island) festival of ’89, and Kansas City rockers The Rainmakers were the kings of the island. They were facing their most faithful audience and making more than a handful of new converts. The band probably won themselves more new fans in one single day, than they had done in one swoop since “Let My People Go-Go” dominated the airwaves in ’86. The concert was the stuff of legend. Loud, smart and shock-full of straight ahead undiluted fun. It was vintage Rainmakers.

One year later, it was over. The band came back to the festival the next summer. and did another classic set. But a lot of things were different. The day was overcast and plenty of showers proved that the band could live up to its name if the mood required it. Just a few days earlier the band had announced that they would be breaking up after this, their final concert.

But when they entered the stage that day they did not hold back one inch. It was an American band going out with a bang. They whipped the crowd into the same state of near-frenzy as they always did, and the audience begged them to stay.

When it was ﬁnally over and the band left the stage, bass player Rich Ruth turned towards the roaring thousands. “I have to leave all this?”, he seemed to ask himself. He looked sad.

Here’s two full concerts with The Rainmakers recorded in Norway for you

And a mini-gig at Høgskolen i Oslo March 24, 2011 during the
“25 On” comeback tour of Norway.

And a Rainmakers interview at Herreavdelingen NRK Radio.

January 24th 2012, The Rainmakers straight from the airport and into the NRK radio studio in Oslo, Norway to record some songs and an interview for the Herreavdelingen radio show. Host is Finn Bjelke who’s been championing the band since the 1986 debut – Thanks Finn!

The Rainmakers have always had a large faithful following here in Norway, me included. The two concerts at Kalvøya were my forth and fifth with the Rainmakers. The first one was in ’86 and the ticket was a birthday present from my employees. Rainmakers’ Norwegian fans are still just as faithful and the band show their gratitude by giving five concerts here this coming summer, I plan to attend at least two of them – Ted

One of Britain’s most popular entertainers, George Formby, has died after suffering a heart attack.

Lancashire-born Formby, 56, was one of the UK’s best-paid stars during his heyday in the 1930s and 1940s. His nationwide fame was unusual in the era before ownership of television sets was widespread.

For six successive years during the 1940s he headed a popularity poll compiled by British cinema-goers who flocked to see him in films such as "Spare a Copper" and "George in Civvy Street".

His stage persona was that of a good-natured imbecile but he was a shrewd professional who amassed a fortune, earning up to £35,000 per film.

But Formby turned down many more lucrative offers, including one from Hollywood, so he could entertain British and American troops during the Second World War. His contribution to the war effort earned him an OBE in 1946.

Stage name

Born George Hoy Booth in Wigan in 1904, he was the son of Lancashire’s most famous music hall star who first adopted the name Formby for the stage.

At the age of seven Formby junior was apprenticed to a jockey but weight gain ruled racing out as a career. Instead he followed his father onto the music hall stage, making his debut as a 17-year-old.

The young Formby made his name with an act which featured a ukulele, the instrument which was to become his trademark along with his toothy grin. From that era stem some of his most famous songs including "When I’m Cleaning Windows" and his catchphrase "Turned out nice again".

Surprise fiancée

At the height of his career he topped the bill at several Royal Command performances at the London Palladium. But a weak heart led to his official retirement in 1952 although he had since occasionally appeared on the stage and in pantomimes.

His final heart attack occurred at the home of his fiancée, Patricia Howson, 36. The couple were due to marry in May. The announcement of their engagement in February was a surprise to many, coming as it did just two months after the death of Beryl, Formby’s wife of 36 years.

In Context

In a will made a few days before he died George Formby left most of his £140,000 fortune to his fiancée Patricia Howson. He left nothing to his family.

After six years of legal wrangling an out-of-court settlement was reached which gave £5,000 to George Formby’s mother and £2,000 each to his three sisters.

In 1964 Patricia Howson auctioned some of the jewellery her fiancé had given her saying she needed the money to pay her legal bills. Ms Howson died in 1971 leaving £20,000 in her will.

Since his death George Formby has become a cult figure with hundreds of fan clubs around the world.